capable of it.
It is now clear that a dispute of this kind is merely verbal. Whoever understands inability in this sense has made his meaning clear. If the matter is examined carefully and the question is asked, “Can a servant be incapable of doing what he has been commanded to do when he firmly wills to do it?” the truth becomes clear. Everyone can then see that when he wills to do what he has been commanded, he is not incapable of it, but capable. Whatever he remains incapable of doing even when he wills it, Allah has not charged him with doing, for Allah does not burden any soul beyond its capacity—that is, beyond what it can bear.
The servant must know that the good deeds he performs are due to Allah’s grace and mercy, and are among His blessings, as the people of Paradise say:
“Praise be to Allah, who guided us to this! We would never have been guided had Allah not guided us.”
Allah Most High says:
“But Allah has endeared faith to you and made it beautiful in your hearts, and has made disbelief, wickedness, and disobedience hateful to you. Those are the rightly guided.”
Allah Most High also says:
“What, then, of one whose breast Allah has opened to Islam, so that he follows a light from his Lord? Woe, then, to those whose hearts are hardened against the remembrance of Allah!”
And He says:
“Is one who was dead, whom We brought to life and gave a light by which to walk among people, like one who remains in darkness, unable to emerge from it?”
Allah Most High says:
“And thus We have revealed to you an inspiration by Our command. You did not know what the Scripture was, nor what faith was, but We made it a light by which We guide whom We will of Our servants.”
Likewise, he should attribute his evil deeds to himself, while knowing that Allah is the Creator of everything that exists: entities, attributes, movements, and states of rest. As Adam said:
“Our Lord, we have wronged ourselves. If You do not forgive us and have mercy upon us, we will surely be among the losers.”
Moses said:
“My Lord, I have wronged myself, so forgive me.”
And Allah’s intimate friend said: “And the One who, I hope, will